Today is Day 2 of my Author Spotlight week and today the spotlight is on mystery/suspense author, J.P. O'Donnell. J.P. is the author of two books in the Gallagher series, Fatal Gamble and Deadly Codes. Both books are excellent and I have reviewed them on my blog. If you like suspense and great characters I suggest you check these books out.
I present to you, my interview with author J.P. O'Donnell.
- Without giving anything away, what is Fatal Gamble about?
Fatal
Gamble is a mystery/thriller about a group of doctors that forms a
partnership to build a medical office building in a small town in Massachusetts . Twenty years later, one by one, they are
mysteriously murdered. The widow of one
of the slain doctors knows a clue, but she’s afraid to tell the police. She hires a Boston
private investigator, Daniel Cormac Gallagher, Jr., to help track down the
murderer. But as Gallagher begins to
unravel the mystery, he finds himself entangled in a web of danger and
political intrigue. As the stakes grow
higher, he faces deadly threats to keep him quiet before he reveals the
damaging truth.
- How about Deadly Codes?
Deadly
Codes: A Gallagher Novel is also mystery/thriller and is my second book in
the Gallagher series. In Deadly Codes, Gallagher is hired to
investigate the death of a woman tragically killed in a car bombing in her own
driveway. I was inspired to write it for
two reasons: first of all, the response of readers to my first Gallagher book, Fatal Gamble, was very positive, as
evidenced by the book’s selection as Editor’s Choice and Reader’s Choice by my
publisher, iUniverse. I received many
letters and emails from readers who wanted more of Gallagher. Secondly, several agents who liked Fatal Gamble told me I had to prove I
was a writer by writing a second novel.
Thus, it seemed fitting for me to use Gallagher as the protagonist upon
whom to base my next venture into the genre of mystery fiction.
- Can your Gallagher books be read as stand alone books or do you feel they need to be read as a series?
Although Deadly Codes is the sequel to Fatal
Gamble, there is enough back story provided that it can be read as a stand
alone book. Most readers, however, have
read Fatal Gamble first.
- How much research did you do to write your Gallagher novels?
I guess the simple answer is “tons
of research.” I had never ventured into
the genre of mystery fiction prior to writing Fatal Gamble. Here I was
writing about a private detective who carries a gun and has it use it on
occasion. The story also has its share
of “bad guys” who aren’t timid about using their weapons. I have never owned or fired a gun, so I had
to do research to learn all about them. I
also had to learn about ballistics tests and police procedures. Gallagher’s travels take him from Boston
to New Hampshire , Vermont ,
Washington , DC
and Florida . Other characters and scenes are based in Las
Vegas . So I had
to research these locations, almost as a travel agent, in order to construct
scenes that accurately depicted these areas.
Fortunately, the internet is a great source of information to supplement
books I obtained from the library. I
also had several excellent technical advisors who offered great insight into
weapons and police protocol. Something I learned along the way: Even though it’s fiction and you think you
can just “make it all up,” scenes have to based on accuracy or else the reader
quickly becomes distracted from your storyline.
- Do you plan your books out or do you just write and see where it takes you?
Before I start writing I have a
general idea of the plot and basic story.
I know where I want the story to begin and how it should end. For both Fatal
Gamble and Deadly Codes, I wrote
the first chapters and then the last chapters.
Then I just “connected the dots” and let the story develop so I could
reach the end point. Along the way, my
characters came to life, and I let my imagination take over to develop their
personalities and idiosyncrasies. It was
so much fun that I couldn’t wait to get to my computer every night to see what
would happen!
- On your website it says you have always enjoyed writing, but most of it was confined to your professional career as a pediatric dentist. How did you make the jump from writing scientific papers to fictional mysteries?
I have done a lot of writing in my
professional career as a pediatric dentist and as a faculty member at Tufts
University . Most of this writing included articles in
dental journals on subjects such as pediatric oral pathology, clinical studies
on sealants, and the field of special needs dentistry. I wrote an article on the management of pediatric
dental trauma in a Special Issue of the Journal of the Massachusetts Dental
Society, and the International College of Dentists recognized that journal with
the Golden Pen award. It was so
satisfying to have someone say I was a good writer. This award inspired me to keep writing and
eventually venture into a new genre—mystery fiction.
- Are you still involved in your pediatric dentistry career and teaching?
Yes, I practice pediatric dentistry
on a part-time basis and continue to be a faculty member (Associate Clinical
Professor) at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. I love writing, but I also thoroughly enjoy
taking care of children in my practice and teaching other dentists how to do
clinical procedures for their pediatric patients. I guess I’m fortunate to be able to blend two
such different careers into a busy schedule and have so much fun doing it.
- What is your favorite room in the house?
That would have to be my study where I do my writing. It’s downstairs in our finished basement. I have it set up with all of my reference books, my computer, scanner and printer. It’s the only place where I can write, and I spend most of my nights there when I get home from the office.
- What is your favorite snack food?
That’s easy … ice cream. I love ice cream and never get tired of
it. Gallagher, by the way, is also an
ice-cream lover. Gee, I wonder how that
happened.
- What is your favorite season?
Summer. It’s great to be outdoors and play golf. My wife and I have a second home in Vermont
and spend most of our summer weekends there.
- Do you get time to read? What are your favorite types of books to read?
Naturally, I love
mystery/thrillers. Some of my favorite
authors are Harlan Coben, Tess Gerritsen, and Michael Palmer. I just finished The Girl with the Dragon
Tattoo and thought it was a great read.
But the best book I’ve read in recent years is Pillars of the Earth. Now
that is an epic, historical fiction classic!
Crystal: Interesting, my husband would agree with you - someone suggested Pillars of the Earth to him and he read it in just a few days (he barely slept) and loved it. Now he wants me to read it. I have it on my Kindle and now with two recommendations I'll have to read it.
Crystal: Interesting, my husband would agree with you - someone suggested Pillars of the Earth to him and he read it in just a few days (he barely slept) and loved it. Now he wants me to read it. I have it on my Kindle and now with two recommendations I'll have to read it.
- How did you react when your first book was published?
It was a thrill to see that
manuscript turned into a book with a real cover. On a scale of one to ten, it
was easily a twelve. I celebrated with …
what else? … a hot fudge sundae. In
addition to the hard cover and paperback versions, Fatal Gamble and Deadly Codes
are also available on Amazon Kindle or as free audiobooks at www.podiobooks.com
Crystal: There is nothing better than a hot fudge sundae so that is a great way to celebrate!
Crystal: There is nothing better than a hot fudge sundae so that is a great way to celebrate!
- What are you working on now? Another Gallagher book? Anything else?
This past year has been very
exciting. Deadly Codes attracted the interest of an actor and a director in Hollywood
who liked the story. I worked with a
screenwriter for four months to complete the adaptation of my novel to a
screenplay. It is now in the hands of a
line producer who is calculating the budget for a movie. Hopefully, Gallagher will find his way to
the silver screen. I’m also beginning
the third book in the Gallagher series.
In this book, Kate vanishes and Gallagher discovers a dark secret from
her past. Stay tuned.
For more information about JP
O’Donnell and his books, please visit www.jpodonnell.com
Please check out his website mentioned above and click on the titles and see my reviews of Fatal Gamble and Deadly Codes.
Tomorrow I will be hosting J.P. O'Donnell again with a guest post.
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